Readers to Pet Product Manufacturers: Get in the PETS+ Sample Box!

Mwuah!

• The March-April edition really spoke to me. It was a great mix of actionable items (working on focus/good online habits) and relevant product info. The sponsored content on NASC members was great. Keep it up! — Katherine Ostiguy, Crossbones, Providence, RI
• Can’t wait to see you at SuperZoo! — Elaina Stanley, Three Happy Hounds, Fernley, NV
• I would like to thank the PETS+ family for always being a great help in the Facebook group! Every time I ask a question or want to give insight, people are kind, welcoming, supportive and helpful. I appreciate the amazing and safe environment. — Samantha Youngblood, Youngblood’s Natural Animal Care Center and Massage, Wilkinson, IN
• I look forward to every issue of the magazine and enjoy the interaction with the Facebook group. PETS+ really supports what I do. It will be a real treat to get a Sample Box for our niche. — Liz Harris, Creatures Featured, Madison, FL

Speaking of…

• The PETS+ Sample Box is such a terrific idea. If I were a vendor, I would be motivated to get my product into that box. I enjoyed getting coupons as an incentive to order. We have ordered about eight items from the boxes. — Jennifer Thomas, Lucky Dog Pet Grocery & Bakery, Lawrence, KS
• The Sample Box was amazing! I tell every rep who walks through my shop door to look into it. — Janet Cesarini, Pupology, Georgetown, TX
• I love the Sample Box — best thing ever! It’s great to see the products and try them before buying, plus I think it’s a great way for smaller companies to get their products out to retailers, especially ones that aren’t in distribution and might not get seen otherwise. — Jennifer Marshall, Northwoods Pets, Rhinelander, WI
• Thank you so much for the Sample Box! We look forward to getting ours in the mail each time, and we make sure that our customers get to try out the products and give us feedback. It’s a great way to know about products without having to call a company and ask for a sample. Also, it has led us to order products that we might not have. Love it! — April Meier, Pawsitively Scrumptious, Crestview, FL
• I’m very appreciative of the creation of the Sample Box. Talk about a necessity driven by adversity (COVID)! Since rep visits weren’t happening, and industry shows cancelled, the opportunity to get our hands on awesome products has been extremely helpful — and fun! — Lisa Boegl, Eldorado Country Pet, Santa Fe, NM
• The Sample Box is like a mini-trade show delivered to your door, like a surprise gift. I am sure it has proven to be a home run for the companies that partake… both the manufacturers and the stores that receive it. — Ruth Sturgis, Dog Daze, North Syracuse, NY
• How do I get a Sample Box? LOL. — Charlsye Lewis, Metro Animals, Fort Worth, TX

Editor’s Note: Retailers can apply for the Sample Box program at petsplusmag.com/productsquad. Manufacturers contact desiree@petsplusmag.com for more info.

• Sample Box is great! Without traveling to trade shows, it’s a great way to learn about new products. — Jodi Etienne, Razzle Dazzle, Doggie Bow-tique, Bradley, IL
• Out of all the Facebook groups I’m a member of, I enjoy reading comments in the PETS+ group the most. It’s like everyone is in my head, thinking the same things I am and asking the same questions. Kinda creepy, but I love it! — Sheila Spitza, Wet Nose, Geneva, IL
• We love the Sample Box. It has had things that we have looked at wanting to order but have not until we got the box. And the Facebook Group is the best. It is great to have other people in the industry add input. — Keith Zeiler, Paws on Chicon, Austin, TX
• Sample boxes are awesome! — Margo Tortorelis, My Natural Pet, Brooklyn, NY
• As a service-based business owner, I am a member of many pet care industry newsletters, magazines, ezines, social media groups, etc. Although PETS+ caters mostly to retail (I do see and appreciate you building the service side of your coverage), I still find it the most beneficial when it comes to useful info and current industry information. Thank you! — Ashley Cook, Viva La Pet, Dover, NJ
• I really have enjoyed the sample boxes! I have been watching and contributing more to the Facebook group and really like the feedback I have been given. This past box, I would have liked a bit more time for the survey. There were samples that I was using and wanted a bit more time to see results. — Ann Peterson, Ann-imals Pet Supply, York, ME
• The second sample box was awesome! I love being able to see products first-hand, that I would otherwise not be able to check out in person. I’ve been able to test some items out with my own dog, and pass others on to my staff and customers to try out. Just an idea: I think it would be helpful to list pricing of samples on the enclosed informational sheet. — Kaye Busse-Kleber, Bark On Mulford, Rockford, IL
• I’d like to see an article on how people have dealt with a new hire coming in and basically kicking ass, better than the rest quickly, an overachiever. — Paul Lewis, Birds Unlimited, Webster, NY
• We love and appreciate being part of the Sample Box program. It’s been great to see and sample products, to get and give feedback about them, especially since we’ve not been able to go to trade shows since the pandemic. — Jeff Jensen, Four Muddy Paws, St Louis, MO
• The lead-up, receiving and opinionated follow-up of the new PETS + Sample Box has been lively, informative and dramatic content. I love everything to do with this. And have learned so much within my canine lane, as well as outside of it! Kudos to the brain child (Pam!?) as a way to get us all talking about what we are most passionate about. — Angela Pantalone, Wag Central, Stratford, CT
• I may just go nuts if I hear one more customer say, “My dog has a sensitive stomach.” Upon further discussion, it usually boils down to feeding bad food, never switching protein, never giving supplements etc. All the while, they continue to feed bad food, give garbage treats, etc. I love the education piece of my job, but it gets really old listening to the sensitive stomach stories! — Janet Huffor, Furry Friends Inc., Colorado Springs , CO
• Dislike the subterfuge in the industry, paid for by big pharma of pet foods. LOVE the Sample Box; have discovered many new products. Love that you listen and ask for advice. — Pamela Modica, Lazy Creek Pet Food Center, Lexington, SC
• I love the concept of the Sample Box! Such a great way to experience the products without losing time in one-on-one meetings with reps. — Becci Scott, Fetching Dog, Scottsdale, AZ
• The FB community is so insanely helpful — and the sample boxes are awesome! Thank you for the inclusion in both! — Johnna Devereaux, Fetch RI, Richmond RI
• We love the Sample Box! I know that has to be a lot of work, but we really appreciate it! Also, I find the PETS+ Facebook community to be such an amazing resource. Can’t thank you enough!! — Jennifer Guevin, Holistic for Pets, Sarasota,FL
• I look forward to reading questions in the PETS+ Facebook group and even more so the answers. It’s so helpful, encouraging and reassuring. — Shelly Nicastro, Essex Bird & Pet Supply, Essex, MA
• I am very thankful for the PETS+ Facebook group! I have learned a ton from other retailers and I am really thankful for the knowledge and support! — Shane Somerville, Paddywack, Mill Creek, WA
• The industry is off the charts booming for us! We have had the best weekend in the 16 years being in business! I would be interested to hear what other parts of the country are dealing with business wise in this industry. — Corissa Bubenick, Hot Diggity, Mashpee, MA